Review of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Perfect Chemistry

Simone Elkeles

2008

Amazon/ Goodreads

Look at all that dark hair!

Reasons for reading:

I downloaded Perfect Chemistry on my Kindle in a jubilant book-buying spree of quite a few books on my TBR list that I haven’t yet had an opportunity to read.  I thought Perfect Chemistry would be a fun teen romance with some steamy parts.  I loved the dark cover- although I sometimes enjoy sugary books with little-girl-y covers, I liked that this cover seemed more edgy.

Basic plot:

Alex is in the Latino Blood gang outside Chicago.  Brittany is a white girl princess with a terrible home life.  When they are forced to be Chem partners, sexual tension and violence ensues…

Curiosities:

Direct quote from p. 278? (according to my kindle): “‘You only live once.’”  Again, p. 280: “Alex pulls me close and whispers in my ear, ‘You only live once, isn’t that what you said? Dance with me again.’”  When I read this, The Motto starts playing in my head… E’ryday e’ryday… YOLO…”  It made me sad that such a watershed part of the book was so cliché.

Alex is hot.  You will not be disappointed in his sexy bad-boy-ness.  This book was worth reading simply because of that.

Not sure if these are the models or what, but :D

Brittany’s older sister, Shelly, has cerebral palsy, yet her character is developed and plays an important part in the story.  I found it refreshing to read a character with serious disabilities who isn’t treated with pity or swept aside by the story.

I was under the impression that the story was a trilogy.  No.  The story is contained in this one book- the two books that come after it are about each of Alex’s little brothers. This story goes beyond a typical book and includes a weird TWENTY-THREE years later epilogue- this just seemed excessive to me.  It was like the author wanted to reassure the reader that they really, really did live happily ever after. Also, I can’t explain this without spoilers, but it’s almost supernatural- reminds me of what’s going on in Starcrossed.

Final thoughts:

I’m glad I read it, but I wish I had read it when I was younger and I wanted stories to tie up neatly.  I feel like I’ve either read this book or seen the movie because the plot was VERY predictable, but Alex’s hotness and the tenderness Brittany feels for her sister made this book worth reading, and I would recommend it to mature middle (there is actual SEX) / high school readers looking for a romantic story about love overcoming circumstances.  Three stars.

Book trailer:

I'm glad I didn't watch this book trailer until after I read the book... BUT THEN AGAIN, my middle schoolers would love this trailer and would be fighting over the book.  SO if you are under the age of 15, watch the trailer.  Over 15, just read the book.

Review of Illegal by Bettina Restrepo

Released in March 2011, Illegal is the story of a fourteen year old Mexican girl's struggle to hold on to her life, which is crumbling before her eyes.  Her family's orchard is slowly being destroyed by drought and pests, and her town is drying up- everyone is moving on to find a better life.  No people in the town means no customers to sell their fruit to, and Nora's father leaves for the United States to try to make enough money to save their home.

For awhile, things are okay, but when months go by without any word from her father, Nora's family is out of money and out of hope.  She and her mother decide to illegally journey into Texas (made even more dangerous because they are two women traveling alone).  After a frightening border crossing experience, Nora and her mother find themselves in Houston with little English, little money, and no idea where to start looking for her father.

This story chronicles Nora's desperate desire to survive, her perseverance, and her friendly nature.  Although it deals with heartbreaking issues, the rich and well-developed characters bring light and a constant sense of hope into the story.

I give this book 4 stars, and I would recommend it primarily for middle/high school readers.  It is an excellent piece of anti-oppression literature, very eye-opening but also purely enjoyable.  The ending made me cry, but I was left with a sense of encouragement and an appreciation for Nora's indomitable spirit.

Review- Reaching Out by Francisco Jimenez

Published in 2008
Sequel to The Circuit (1) and Breaking Through (2)

Last fall, my senior year of college, I had to take a Latin American Studies course to fulfill my graduation requirements, so I chose US Hispanic Authors.  The first book in this "trilogy" (all of them stand alone, but they are autobiographical, so a trilogy for chronology's sake), The Circuit was required reading.  These books are all about the author's coming of age, and they begin with his illegal trip in to the US across the border from Mexico.  Not only is he now an illegal immigrant in fear of deportation, but he and his family speak no English, and they find work as migrant workers.

Francisco Jimenez is now an author obviously, so these stories are a success tale.  There are many sad things that happen, and I cried often, but most importantly these stories are an inspiration for poor children, for Mexican immigrants, and for people who are trying to learn English.  These books inspired me, as a teacher, and gave me insight into what children in these circumstances might be going through. I recommend all three of these books to anyone considering a career working with people (teacher, psychologist, social services, etc.)  They really changed my life.

To add to their value, these books are very well written, short but meaty, and can be broken into short stories.  These would be appropriate to read to students as short stories.  As you can tell, I'm totally crazy about these books.

5 stars for all three of them. READ THEM.

My very first post...

I have been trying to start a blog for awhile, and I think I am finally ready.  I really have no design experience, so please excuse the noob appearance of my blog.  If you have any advice for how I can get started, I would really appreciate it.  :D


I think that the best way for me to introduce myself is with a list of the last 10 books I read... according to my Goodreads account:


1.  Intensely Alice by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor- I LOVE ALICE.  I 100% recommend this series to everyone who like YA coming of age books.  Alice is a genuine girl with high standards for herself, and the books honestly explore adolescence in terms of family, emotional issues, sexuality, independence, courage, friendship, and big issues such as suicide, drunk driving, and teen pregnancy.  These books are some of the most banned in the United States, and they span Alice's life from elementary school through high school.  The series- 5 stars.  This particular book- 4 stars.


2.  The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer-  I am still thinking about this book.  I definitely liked it, but I am trying to decide if it is actually well-written.  Anyways, it is a very short read. I recommend it to anyone who liked Twilight (even if you won't admit it).  It is definitely grittier and kind of makes up for the "fairy vampire" issues with Twilight.  4.5 stars.


3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie-  This is a YA book about a Native American high school student who decides to leave the reservation and attend the white school.  The coolest thing about it is the illustration- the book has unique cartoons every few pages to emphasize key events and ideas.  This book is very sad, and contains a lot of bad language, so I would only recommend it for high school and up.  4.5 stars.


4. The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne- This is very deep chick lit.  A young British woman starts her own girlfriend agency after losing her job.  I think it is very well written and has a lot of character development.  It is also surprisingly long, which makes it a little more of a challenge than average chick lit.  4 stars.


5. Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez-  I LOVE JULIA ALVAREZ.  You must first read In the Time of The Butterflies.  Then read this book.  It is about the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic.  Both are very good reads. 5 stars.


6. Lucky by Rachel Vail-  DO NOT READ THIS BOOK.  GIANT WASTE OF TIME.  It also made me very grumpy because I was so irritated by all of the main characters.  1.5 stars (because it was at least short).


7.  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan-  The Percy Jackson series is a great new alternative to Harry Potter.  So much YA fantasy is about wizards and elves, but this series is about Greek mythology.  Excellent male and female protagonists.  5 stars.


8.  The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith- great mystery set in Africa!  A lady starts up her own detective agency, and this book details her life in flashbacks as well as how she begins the agency.  4.5 stars.


9.  The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart- Excellent children's book.  This is the second in the series.  I would recommend this series to anyone who likes adventure.  These books are truly unique and emphasize that all children have special talents, they just need to learn how to use them!  5 stars.


10.  The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer.  Hopefully I do not need to summarize these for you, haha. I am embarrassed to admit that I totally enjoyed Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.  It was like making a huge pot of mac and cheese and eating the whole thing.  Not nutritious, totally processed, but delicious!  3 stars for actual quality, 4.5 stars for pleasure.